Constructing an aircraft begins with assembling detail parts into aircraft subassemblies. These aircraft subassemblies are later positioned adjacent one another for final assembly of the aircraft. Tooling fixtures are used throughout the assembly process to prevent detail parts and aircraft subassemblies from being located and assembled incorrectly. For example, one type of tooling fixture may include fixed position stops that the detail fitting or aircraft subassembly seats against in order to position the detail part or aircraft subassembly in three dimensions. After locating the detail part or aircraft subassembly with the tooling fixture, the detail part or aircraft subassembly may be drilled or attached to mating aircraft structure.
In addition to tooling fixtures, detail parts and aircraft subassemblies often include interface control points to properly locate mating aircraft structure. For example, one aircraft supplier may manufacture and supply the wings of the aircraft while another aircraft supplier may manufacture and supply the fuselage of the aircraft. The wing and fuselage subassemblies may contain interface control points to prevent mislocating or misaligning the wing subassemblies with the fuselage subassembly during final assembly of the aircraft. Three-dimensional locating methods, such as laser optical positioning systems, may be used to prevent mislocating or misaligning detail parts or aircraft subassemblies during assembly.
Three-dimensional locating methods for aircraft assembly, however, suffer several disadvantages. For example, variations in aircraft structure design may prevent a single three-dimensional positioning device from locating and generating three-dimensional coordinates for all the interface critical control points of the aircraft. However, if two or more three-dimensional positioning devices are used, the three-dimensional positioning devices will generate a corresponding number of coordinate systems.